Posted on 10/22/2024 12:48:44 PM PDT by Red Badger
Oct. 21 (UPI) -- Wildlife officials in Florida said mysterious holes appearing along the banks of the state's freshwater rivers have been identified as the work of invasive fish.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's Research Institute said on social media that the holes have "become a common sight" on the state's riverbanks.
Biologists identified the holes as "catfish condos" for invasive armored sailfin catfish, also known as plecos.
"These burrows serve as nesting sites where the catfish protect their eggs and young," the post said. "However, this digging behavior can cause problems for Florida's freshwater ecosystems as they destabilize banks and contribute to erosion and increased turbidity in the water."
The Research Institute said the issue should serve as a reminder of the dangers of releasing non-native species.
"Invasive species like this one are often introduced to Florida's waterways when aquarium pets are released into the wild. While it may seem harmless, releasing pets can have serious consequences for the environment and wildlife that depend on these habitats," officials wrote.
I’ll have the plecos plate...
Great. Another invasive species in Florida.
You don’t want to noodle a Pleco. Their fins, scales and gills are like razor blades................
They are nasty fish..............
And some invasive species have two legs.
I’ve had many of these in aquariums over the years. They do a good job of sucking the algae off the glass walls.
But they get big in the wild.
We have a small koi pond in the backyard where we put the plecos after they get too big for the aquarium.
They get about a foot long.
And for some reason they commit suicide by jumping out of the pond and die on the ground when they get that big.............
Free fish-that’s good. Nice chi-chis. Too bad we couldn’t see them.
COL...if only DEMOCRATS did that!
More Border crossers!
Send in the snakeheads!
That girl is a national treasure.
Nature just sucks.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.